With Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena (IAS:1990:HP) set to retire on March 31 and his application for the post of RERA Chairman making it clear that his exit is confirmed. Now, the focus has shifted to his likely successor.
According to the seniority list, only four IAS officers in the state have completed 30 years of service, a key criterion for the Chief Secretary’s post. They are:
- Sanjay Sharma (IAS:1988:HP)
- Kamlesh Kumar Pant (IAS:1993:HP)
- Anuradha Thakur (IAS:1994:HP)
- Onkar Chand Sharma (IAS:1994:HP)
Among them, Sanjay Sharma, currently serving as Chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited and Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation, is unlikely to make the cut this time as well. A similar situation occurred last time when Prabodh Saxena was appointed Chief Secretary, bypassing Sharma’s seniority after the retirement of RD Dhiman (IAS:1988:HP) on December 31, 2022.
Anuradha Thakur is currently on central deputation as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and, according to sources, is not inclined to return to her parent cadre. Notably, she was recently empanelled on March 6 for Secretary or equivalent-level positions in the Government of India, further reducing the chances of her return to the state.
This effectively narrows the race down to Kamlesh Kumar Pant and Onkar Chand Sharma—both seasoned officers with the credentials to take up the top bureaucratic position.
Pant is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) and Financial Commissioner (Appeals), while Sharma holds multiple key portfolios, including Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue)-cum-FC (Revenue), Tribal Development, JSV, Home & Vigilance, and Chairman, HP State Pollution Control Board.
However, discussions in administrative circles suggest that Kamlesh Kumar Pant is the frontrunner to replace Prabodh Saxena as Chief Secretary.
